For Centuries, the Portuguese were the bravest explorers in all of Europe. Reaching the coasts of Africa, South America, South Asia, and even Japan, these explorers were fearless, to the point of being audacious!

And being a nation of devout Catholics, Portugal would unsurprisingly have an Order whose sole task it was to pray and offer spiritual guidance for these brave souls.

* At the center of this task of significant importance was the Monastery of Jeronimos.

At the very heart of the beast that was the Soviet Union stands the fortified complex known as the Kremlin. Separated from Moscow's iconic Red Square by thick impenetrable walls, the Kremlin was for Centuries the official residence of the Russian Tsars.

* And this fine tradition continues to this day, as the Kremlin is the home of Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. He lives in the Kremlin Senate building, which is obviously the most secure part of the fortress.

Japan is a country of extreme contrasts! A country where futuristic skyscrapers coexist with ancient feudal parks and temples, where a culture of honor and respect coexists with the craziest TV shows known to man, and where a polite and friendly people can also be eccentric and quirky!

Here are some of my favorite shots of these peculiarities.

* Animals playing musical instruments with no tone, rhythm and tune.. perfectly normal here in Harajuku!

Enduring for over six centuries, the Portuguese Empire was actually the first colonial empire of Europe, leading the continent's Age of Discovery. With superior cutting-edge maritime technology and having a who's-who of historical explorers and sailors, the Portuguese mapped out whole coasts of the Americas, Africa, and Asia, while its European rivals were still squabbling on the main land.

And Lisbon's Belem district, contains monuments and landmarks to this proud Portuguese legacy.

* By far, the coolest monument in Belem is that of the Monument of the Discoveries; featuring some of the world's most important explorers and situated right on the port where ships used to depart for Africa, India, and the Orient.

Every hero has its main rival; and for the better part of the 20th Century the two great rival powers were the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It is a story of dualism: West vs. East, NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact, Democracy vs. Communism; and at the heart of the two beasts, Washington DC and Moscow. I was privileged to have had the opportunity to visit Moscow, and these were some of the amazing photos from that journey.

What started as a small Viking fishing village eventually grew to become the seat of the Dano-Norwegian Empire, and current capital of Denmark.

Now while Denmark is well-known for being one of the world leaders in design, clean energy, and sustainability, as well as liberalism, human rights, and modernism (free education, healthcare, and social security for all), its capital contains multiple treasures to its glorious royal past!

* Like most people from Scandinavia (the people formerly known as the Vikings), the Danes LOVE the water. One of Copenhagen's most picturesque spots is the waterfront area known as the Nyhavn.

Home to a mind-boggling 13 million people, the metropolitan area of Tokyo is a sensory overload every step of the way. Everything in this mega-city looks, smells, sounds, and feels extraordinary.. like one is in a blockbuster movie, or 15 years in the future.

And my first piece of advice for any first-time traveler to Tokyo, is to just let the city swallow you! Don't even try to make sense of anything, open yourself up to everything.. and don't forget to look up!

* Shibuya is known as Japan's fashion center and is where all the cool kids go to drink and party.

For millions of Filipinos, the United States of America is the land of promise: famous cities, iconic landmarks, relatives eager to show you around, fantastic food choices with huge servings, exciting NBA games, and loads of shopping.

Unfortunately, we Filipinos cannot just fly into the US. To be able to legally enter America, we need an official document from their government authorizing us to enter their territory. This document is what we call a visa.

A US visa carries several advantages:
1. Duration - an approved US visa can be valid for a few weeks to up to 10 years depending on how your whole application is processed by US Embassy officials. Compare this to EU Schengen (duration of stay as per itinerary), UK (6 months), Japanese (3 months), and Chinese (duration of stay as per itinerary) visas
2. Value for Money - Total visa application fee is at $160. If you get a 10 year visa validity, that fee comes out very economical.
3. Other Visas - It is not explicitly stated anywhere but having an existing US visa is a "plus" when applying for other visas (Schengen, UK, etc) and increases your chance of approval.

I am happy to present this definitive guide to applying for a US visa.

Part ONE contains a comprehensive guide of the PLANNING phase of the visa application process.

The Writer

In 2011, a 26 year old millennial based in Manila, Philippines had a paradigm shift on his views on life, love, and faith. He then decided to set things right by embarking on a journey; one that would take him along the ancient streets of Jerusalem, the magical islands of Greece, the catacombs of Paris, and the heart of the Red Square in Moscow, among other cool and interesting locales. Follow Dane on his continuing six year long trek around the world!